Well.. I just went out and bought a whole bunch of SVMaps.. I'm used to using the old AusMap 1:25000 bushwalking etc.. these maps are good!

But.. in today's day and age.. can we get them online, to use on iPad, or with Android, as PDF, JPG, or .. something..?

I know the story about what if my iPad gets a flat battery.. what then etc.. but assuming one is 'ok' with relying on electronic gadgets.. what is 'the go' for Navigation on tech devices these days..?

I have successfully used LocusPro on Android for my road bike.. but those SVMaps, there is just so much good added detail etc which is not normally available etc. I've thought about scanning them in and stitching them together buuuut.. way painful.. there must be a torrent with all these to something..?

Well.. I just went out and bought a whole bunch of SVMaps.. I'm used to using the old AusMap 1:25000 bushwalking etc.. these maps are good!

But.. in today's day and age.. can we get them online, to use on iPad, or with Android, as PDF, JPG, or .. something..?

I know the story about what if my iPad gets a flat battery.. what then etc.. but assuming one is 'ok' with relying on electronic gadgets.. what is 'the go' for Navigation on tech devices these days..?

I have successfully used LocusPro on Android for my road bike.. but those SVMaps, there is just so much good added detail etc which is not normally available etc. I've thought about scanning them in and stitching them together buuuut.. way painful.. there must be a torrent with all these to something..?

Last question for tonight.. promise!

When you say SVMaps, assuming you meant the paper version of them.
I bought the SVMaps on disk... I'm assuming they're still available. Then there's the software.. my personal preference is Oziexplorer, under windows mobile, but they also do an Android version. For me, this works very well.

I have Motion X GPS app for the iPhone which I have had since the iPhone 3. It has a lot of features and works well but getting detailed maps for SA is the problem.
Anyone done a comparison or done a trip with others who have different apps to compare?

Mudmaps looks good but does it really do the job? The downloadable maps I saw on their site aren't any as good as the ones I have on Motion X GPS.

In the search for the ultimate I have Global Nav which is an app for iPad. It lets you swap between photos and various map sets so that you might find more details on a different map. I have a Gps and use basecamp but use the the iPad to check out areas and to have different map sets.

I've used Bitmap a fair bit on my iPhone 3GS... It's good for my old Oziexplorer maps (a lot are Tassie topo 100k and 25k maps that I had as JPG files and converted to ozi files)

I found Bitmap a bit buggy for saving long routes, it often froze up and crashed when the route got to around 2000 points (on the iPhone 3GS)... I tinkered with quite a few other appz and the only one I found that suited me was:

It's a bit of a steep learning curve to get the most out of it, but I think most mapping applications are like that...

I use it on my PC and iPhone.. They have Android and WinCE versions too.... All versions are free I think, except for the iPhone/ipad version which is $7:50 now, it use to be free but they had issues with Apple (it's free if you phone is jailbroken)

You can buy state topo maps, and hema 4x4 maps through it, but they aren't cheap... around $150 for a license to use a state map-set on 2 PC's and 2 mobile devices I think...

I use the free "Aus Topo250" maps, they show most the roads and tracks down here, but not all..... I'm too cheap to spend the money on the 100k and 25k maps.... If I need more detail I open Bitmap and use the maps I have in that... (and leave Memory-Map in the background recording my route)

It records the route as a GPX file, I upload them to "Ridewithgps" to embed in ride reports... (look at the links in my sig for embedded examples, or> http://ridewithgps.com/trips/970892 )
(I usually save a KML version of the route from Ridewithgps also, I open, then save them, in Google earth, it's handy for route planning)

The mobile versions of MM use GPX files, but the free PC version wont open them, you have to pay for a $125 upgrade to be able to open them (the upgrade also allows you to import and calibrate other map types and images)... Being cheap I use a free utility, GPSBabel, to convert the GPX files into a MMO (memory map overlay) file, which can be opened in the free PC version of MM... (I like to load all my routes into th PC version so I can see where I've been and plan future rides while looking at the same maps I use on the road)

You can download "map packs" to pre-load onto the phone... or MM can download them as you need them.... (if you have phone reception) ... You can just scroll the map around while you're at home so it downloads the areas you need for a trip...

I wanted to pre-load the whole free "Aus Topo250" map of Australia onto my phone so I don't have to rely on mobile reception or pay for data costs...., so on the PC software, I zoomed out as far as I could, then just dragged the map around till it downloaded the whole map of australia, then copied the 850meg "Topo250-2.qct", and "Topo250-2.qc3" files from "C:\Maps\DMS\Australia\Topo250" (the folder where the maps are stored), and saved them onto the iphone through iTunes... (there's tutorials on how to do this that probably explain it better than I can)

I never really worked out how to pre-plan routes in the Memory-map PC app.. I just use RidewithGPS to create routes, then save them as GPX files to load onto the phone through itunes...

MM on the iPhone:
(I leave all my old tracks/routes on the phone, I just set them as orange so they blend in with the roads on the map... Handy for when I've used unmapped roads, it's basically like adding roads to the map)

The PC app showing some of my tracks: (the screen-shot quality is pretty poor, fairly compressed, I didn't want to load this thread up with HUGE images)

A couple of random areas to show the detail of the free "Aus Topo250" maps:

A years worth of tracks/routes, most recorded on MM, then used on Google Earth:

No doubt there's better applications out there, but, as a (basically) free mapping solution this works for me, it runs well on the iphone, which is also playing music ALL the time, and it continues running in the background if you want to use other applications at the same time...

(BTW, I'm not a fan of Apple, the iphone is a hand-me-down from a relative that works for a phone company, they upgrade every few months)

Very annoying application to use. Try to use the 100K Topo or 25K topo maps with Memory-Map and come speak with me again after that. I wouldn't recommend Memory Maps. 5 pukes on the rating scale is more appropriate.

I use the OZ Toppo V 4.0 maps (from GPSOZ) on my Zumo 550 & they have been fine. Used them also on my MTB & while they don't show really small tracks thru the bush they are still very good. Used it also on my handheld Etrex & that was good as well particularly the contour mapping.

Thanks for your post flick it. I downloaded it on my iPad last night and it is working great with the 250k topo. Great to now have an app I can use to look at my garmin gpx files, or to create new tracks to put on my gps.